Niall Ryan

Niall graduated with a B.Agr.Sc. Degree from UCD in 1992 and completed a post graduate Diploma in Food Science and Technology in UCC in 1993. He has worked as a secondary school teacher, a Teagasc advisor in East Limerick, a Technical Representative for the Cooney Furlong Grain Company prior to joining the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2001. He was assigned to the Organic Unit in the department based in Johnstown Castle Co. Wexford and his duties included implementing a control system on the organic certification bodies and implementing schemes for organic production. In 2008 he was transferred to Agricultural Environment and Structures Head quarters again in Johnstown castle and his duties included the development and effective delivery of controls on Argi-Environmental Schemes, e.g. REPS, AEOS and the current scheme GLAS. He was also involved in the design and costing of a number of the GLAS actions. In November 2016 Niall was promoted and moved to Crop Evaluation & Certification Division of the Department and based at Backweston Farm, Celbridge, Co. Kildare. He is head of the herbage evaluation section which implements the National Crop Evaluation Programme for grasses and clovers. His main duties include the organisation of National List and Recommended List grass and clover trials at the different trial sites around the country and analysis of trial data.